


Executive Decision

by Amethystawakening



Category: Gotham (TV)
Genre: Developing Relationship, M/M, Martin is a cutie, Nightmares, Nygmobblepot Week 2018, Sharing a Bed, Unintentional sleepover, Van Dahl Manor, developing relationship jitters
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-20
Updated: 2018-03-20
Packaged: 2019-04-04 23:12:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,476
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14030922
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Amethystawakening/pseuds/Amethystawakening
Summary: Martin has a solution for everything.Nygmobblepot Week prompt: sharing a bed





	Executive Decision

Staying in this house invoked a colorful collage of deja Vu. The good, the bad, and the sickeningly regretful.

 

The eyes in the paintings followed him as he walked through the halls, whispering, _who_ _were you when you were last here?_

 

Ed wasn't sure that he knew. But he knew who he was _now_.

The man locked in a deliciously languid courtship with Oswald Cobblepot. His former best friend, turned former worst enemy, current boyfriend, and future love of his life.

 

Was that how it worked it the movies? Or we're they originals after all?

 

It didn't matter, _what the world thought, what people around them thought_ , it was all insignificant.

 

Oswald wanted to take it slow so that is what they would do.

 

Oswald had always been a gentlemen, he believed in wooing, an old fashioned sensibility of courtship. But it was more than that. He needed to heal. He needed fill the holes in his heart and mind so he could trust again, _love freely_.

 

And Ed needed that too. A city was not rebuilt in a day, and neither was a weathered love.

 

At first he was hesitant to agree to sleep here. The first time is always the hardest, _ridden_ _with doubt._ There was a delicate balance that they were walking, it would be so easy to stumble and fall into the bottomless pit.

 

But it had been late and Oswald had insisted. And _my, oh my,_ how hard it was to deny the one you loved.

 

The second time was easier and third even more so than that.

 

And here he was, on his eight stay, letting the scent of Oswald's detergent sink into his nose. It was soft and comforting, something familiar, but I couldn't make up for the thriving energy that ran through the house at night.

 

Edward often laid awake at night. It was too hard to sleep in this house, in this room. _His_ _old room_.

There were too many ghosts. Too many stories that had to be rewritten.

That _would_ be really rewritten with the trickle of time.

 

Sometimes he would be blessed with a dreamless slumber.

 

_And other times..._

 

> The smell of salt and grimy seawater hung around him. He could feel a  violent energy run through the ground and through his bones.
> 
>  
> 
> “Ed I love you,” Oswalds voice echoed through the land and sky. “I know you believe that now. So, you have to listen to me when I tell you by doing this, it will change you.”
> 
>  
> 
> “I’ve killed before, Oswald.” His own seemed bitter a full of life. The color faded from his skin, draining into a murky _gray_ , _gray, gray_.
> 
>  
> 
> _“_ Not like this _.” Not like this. Not like this_.
> 
>  
> 
> “This won’t be a crime of passion or self preservation. This would be the cold blooded murder of someone you love.” _love love love love love_
> 
>  
> 
> _“I don’t love you.” Was he a man or corpse? Was this the world of the living or a ring of hell. Where was he?_
> 
>  
> 
> Everything was bursting into color like an aurora borealis and fading into a deep twisting black hole.

  


He torn from the night terror by a rough shake. His eyes flew open quickly. His fingers tangled in the sheets, grounding himself in reality. “Oswald?” He called, his blurry vision and the darkness of the room failing him.

 

There was nothing but silence.

 

 _No_. His mind corrected itself. The outline was much too small to be Oswald. “Martin?”

 

Ed felt a pair of glasses being pressed into his palm. He unfolded them carefully and place them on his face, the vision of Martin's face coming into view under the pale moonlight.

 

“I'm sorry. Did I wake you?” He said apologetically, a little embarrassed that he may have startled the child.

 

Martin nodded his head and began signing quickly. Much too quickly for Ed’s comprehension.

 

“Hold on there, buddy. You're going too fast for me.” _Now_ , Ed was a fast learner. But despite his adamacy at learning American sign language for Martin’s sake, entire language was not something you could learn in a couple of weeks. He was still getting up to speed.

 

Martin halted, deciding, instead, to gesture Ed forward with the curl of his fingers.

 

“What?” Ed squinted, trying to comprehend the command. Martin wanted him to follow him?

 

Martin repeated the gesture, summoning him forward.

 

“Okay, but I think it's all little late for a midnight snack.” Ed climbed off of the bed to follow the boy.

 

Martin shook his head, an amused little smile rising to his lips. He took Ed’s hand in his and lead him down the hallway. It was apparent that they were not going to the kitchen.

 

Suddenly, then stopped before a doorway, Martin pushed the slightly cracked door open and lead Ed inside.

 

This was…

_Oswald's room._

 

To say that Ed was puzzled would be an understatement. What possible reason could Martin have brought him here?

 

He felt the small hand slip from him and watched Martin's climb on the bed, his silhouette aglow from the orange light of the night light near the bed. He settled in next to Oswald’s sleeping form and pulled the blankets back from the empty spot to his other side.

 

Martin ushered him forward again.

 

Ed pointed to himself, as if to wordlessly asking, _Me_?

 

Martin nodded and patted the spot beside him.

 

 _Oh_. It finally clicked. Martin wasn't startled by his nightmare, he was concerned.

 

Ed raised his hands, palms facing Martin, and waved them. A silent, “no”.

 

Martin pouted, gesturing more vigorously for Ed to join them.

 

“I don't want to wake Oswald,” Ed finally whispered.

 

It was too dark to tell but he was certain that Martin had just rolled his eyes.

 

Martin climbed from the bed carefully and took Ed’s hand, pulling him forward.

 

This time he had no choice but to obey, climbing in beside him as gently as possible. He heard Oswald shift and his heart speed up. He didn't want to give him the wrong idea.

 

But Martin was adamant. Not only had he gotten Ed to lay beside him, he rolled over Ed’s body to settle on the other side, leaving Ed between him and Oswald. He began to  push Ed into the middle closer to Oswald.

 

“No! What are you doing!” Ed whined to the little boy in a frantic whisper.

 

Martin flashed a sheepish grin. He pressed his feet into Ed’s side and pushed him even closer to Oswald.

 

“ _Martin what are you doing?”_ Ed heard Oswald's groggy voice. He tried to steady his heart as he watched Oswald roll over, his sleepy green eyes coming into view.

 

“Oh, hello.” Oswald blinked and rubbed his eyes to clear his vision. “What a surprise. Ed, you could have told me you were going to join me.” Oswald's voice was light and airy, without a note of irritation. Ed could feel his raging heartbeat slow.

 

Maybe he was overthinking this.

 

“Uh...I had a nightmare and...um… Martin brought me here.” He mumbled, still staring blankly at Oswald's face as he collected his thoughts. When was the last time they had been this close? Surely hundreds of years ago. It was warm, comforting and a little bit nerve wracking. He felt a hundred butterfly wings fluttering inside his stomach when he felt the warmth of Oswald's body radiating to his. They were so close that their noses almost touched.

 

“You know, you can come to me anytime. Even in the middle of the night,” Oswald cooed gently as he traced a finger along Ed’s jaw. A soft soothing touch, like a mother comforting a child. “When I agreed to _this_ , I thought I made it clear that I wanted you to feel at home here, with me.”

 

Ed chewed his lip. “ I know but...we decided to move slowly. I don't want to upset the balance.”

 

Oswald peered over Ed’s shoulder to see Martin raising a small hand in the thumbs-up sign.

 

Ed watched Oswald’s lips twist  into a mirthful smile. “Well, it seems that my most trusted advisor has made an executive decision, in that case I think I will have to accept.”

He leaned forward to press a soft kiss to Ed’s lips, watching his face glow with content.

 

Ed had flown from place to place throughout his life. And no matter where he had landed he had never felt as at home as he did in this moment. He leaned in to return the kiss. “Well, I suppose that is an order I cannot defy.” He turned his head back just a bit to wink at Martin, receiving a gleeful little smile in return.

 

“Now come on you mischief makers…” Oswald laughed softly and leaned over Ed to lay a kiss atop Martin's forehead. “it’s time to sleep.”

 

**Author's Note:**

> Something short and cute before I bring the angst tomorrow.


End file.
